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Survey: Cleanliness is Fundamental to Coin Laundry Success

CHICAGO – Many factors can contribute to a coin-op laundry’s success, but a majority of operators (54.5%) surveyed in this month’s American Coin-Op Wire survey say that store cleanliness is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to having a “great laundry.”

While other factors such as equipment mix/number and customer comfort received equal shares of respondents’ votes (9.1%), a store’s size (4.5%) and aesthetics/decor (0%) garnered little to no support for being the dominant aspect of a “great laundry.”

Next to cleanliness, operators attribute the friendliness of the owner/employee(s) (13.6%) to store success, while the remaining 9.1% believe that all aforementioned qualities were important in judging a store’s greatness.

Roughly 60% of those surveyed believe that an unattended store cannot be considered a “great” laundry, while 36.4% say that it can be and 4.5% are unsure.

When asked what factor is most “overrated” when judging a store, the top three features cited by store owners were store size (36.4%), equipment mix/number (27.3%), and aesthetics/decor (22.7%). Roughly 5% chose “other.” No one taking the survey singled out customer comfort or cleanliness.

In terms of what they believe is their store’s best feature, operators responded with a mixed bag. While some gave themselves credit for their employees’ customer service and their store’s cleanliness and atmosphere, one operator highlighted that his/her machines were never out of order.

How do you think the industry’s image has changed since you first opened your store? Roughly 45% of respondents thought positively, saying the image is either “somewhat better” (31.8%) or “far better” (13.6%). Half of respondents said it is unchanged, and 4.5% believe it is “somewhat worse.” No one who took the survey sees the industry’s image as being “much worse.”

While American Coin-Op’s Wire survey presents a snapshot of the audience’s viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific. Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to participate in an industry survey each month. The survey is conducted online via a partner website, and is developed so it can be completed in less than 10 minutes.

The entire American Coin-Op audience is encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define owner/operator opinions and industry trends.